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Cslusser

Cslusser

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Aug 3, 2021
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Good day to everyone.

My wife and I were discussing starting a small 10-20 acre market garden/small livestock farm, within the next 5 years. Last weekend the couple behind our current property told us it was getting too much to keep up with their place, and they were moving to Florida. the land is 16-17 acres with two pastures, a barn, and a house. I reached out to some lenders and found out there are few lenders who will loan for agriculturally zoned property, in city limits. We had a realtor come out to our house and found out we could get at least a 10% down payment out of our house. We have no clue who to contact next to even see if we qualify for a loan as once they see how it is zoned the residential lenders say no, or they see it's in city limits the farm lenders say no.
 
To may questions, and not enough answers for that kind of investment. IMHO you would be better off with a different piece of property where the zoning laws were more specific, and you knew exactly what you were getting. Good Luck!
 
There are several farms within city limits in our area. @The Lazy L, the only reason I've been given is that the underwriter agreements lenders have restricted them from lending that type of property money. I have reached out to the state and county programs, Ill be calling the OSU Extension office today on my break. I am also trying to contact any current farmer or market gardener I can.
 
Welcome from Oregon. Being in the city limits would concern me. The current and future rules may not be in your favor considering the majority of neighbors are not necessarily like minded. We are rural and zoned farm/ forest. We had to sign a document when we purchased that we could not complain about farm noise, smells, dust etc.
 
Welcome from Bama. I can't help with your information search as I live on the farm where I was born, many miles from any zoning concern. But, I would point out that any good will your residential neighbors have for you will vanish the first time you spread 15 or 20 tons of chicken manure on your pastures. Especially if weather conditions are right for the smell to linger for a week or so.

Zoning boards/commissions hand out special dispensations all the time. I'd want such a guarantee written in stone, so-to-speak, before making a large investment of time and money.
 
Greetings from SW Ohio!

NEVER NEVER NEVER buy a farm(or any other property) inside city limits in Ohio.

Cities/towns/villages(incorporated municipalities) can set their own rules, even if you are over 10 acres, and a change in government could spell the end of you farm.

You can fight a township, but you will lose to an incorporated municipality.
 
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Hello and welcome. With all the garbage that's coming down the pike, the further you can be from any city the better things will be for you. Our biggest battle for getting acreage here in Oregon is going against pot and hemp growers that are buying any property they can that has available water and then there are rich buyers willing to spend nearly $100,000 more than asking price. We have dear friends that have looking for a home, with a mother-in law apartment/cottage for their Asberger syndrome adult son, it's amazing how bad of condition most of the homes they've look at have been. The last home they looked at was listed at $360,000, built in the 50's, cracks in the cinderblock stem walls, they noticed a sloping in a bathroom floor and when my friend showed me pics the home inspector took in the crawl space, there had been extensive leaking with dry rot in the subfloor and joists, problems with cast iron septic lines rusted through. Anyway, he showed me the reports to get some feedback if he should not go through with buying, along with all the other things I saw about the home, I told him that he was up against major work and that with every thing that needed to be done he's probably looking at $100,000's more expenditures. Basically it's expensive land. Well, I just hope you can find what you want, I suspect that property, homes and out buildings are somewhat the same situation across most of the USA and unless you are young and can build things on your own, getting a ready made situation might be tough, all the best to you and family.
 
viking said:
Hello and welcome. With all the garbage that's coming down the pike, the further you can be from any city the better things will be for you. Our biggest battle for getting acreage here in Oregon is going against pot and hemp growers that are buying any property they can that has available water and then there are rich buyers willing to spend nearly $100,000 more than asking price. We have dear friends that have looking for a home, with a mother-in law apartment/cottage for their Asberger syndrome adult son, it's amazing how bad of condition most of the homes they've look at have been. The last home they looked at was listed at $360,000, built in the 50's, cracks in the cinderblock stem walls, they noticed a sloping in a bathroom floor and when my friend showed me pics the home inspector took in the crawl space, there had been extensive leaking with dry rot in the subfloor and joists, problems with cast iron septic lines rusted through. Anyway, he showed me the reports to get some feedback if he should not go through with buying, along with all the other things I saw about the home, I told him that he was up against major work and that with every thing that needed to be done he's probably looking at $100,000's more expenditures. Basically it's expensive land. Well, I just hope you can find what you want, I suspect that property, homes and out buildings are somewhat the same situation across most of the USA and unless you are young and can build things on your own, getting a ready made situation might be tough, all the best to you and family.
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Hmmmm. . .

Why does that description of the decrepit property sound familiar.?

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Ben
 
Welcome from southern Ohio!

I second what @dademoss said. I'm sorry - I wish I could tell you something more positive, especially since you're really interested in that particular piece of land. But here in our neck of the woods (we were SW OH, now southern OH), we've been seeing the creep of government regulations (the slippery slope, as it were). I'm just concerned that those ag properties within city limits will become targets. Government regs not only limit what you can do, they add expenses to your business. The economy will be tricky enough in the next coming years, your bottom line may not be able to absorb any extra expenses. Just something to think about.

But no matter what, I wish you the best of luck in your endeavor!
 
Cslusser said:
There are several farms within city limits in our area. @The Lazy L, the only reason I've been given is that the underwriter agreements lenders have restricted them from lending that type of property money. I have reached out to the state and county programs, Ill be calling the OSU Extension office today on my break. I am also trying to contact any current farmer or market gardener I can.
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You might also contact the title company and ask if they are familiar with such a situation and ask if they have any suggestions.
 
Welcome from the state of Alaska! Go after that dream! Been there, done that and got my place, and haven’t looked back. 😊

I don’t know much about Ohio, so I can’t offer much more advice.

Good luck and welcome!
 
Unfortunately, we have to pass on the property. We cannot find a lender with a commercial underwriter willing to take the property. We also do not have the experience of making a profit high enough for a government loan. To qualify with them for this particular property they what to be able to see that we can make at least $22,500 a year just from the property alone. We have been making maple syrup, getting eggs from chickens, growing tilapia, and gardening, but mostly to feed ourselves and to give to family. For now, we are going to start tracking and charging for what we make and saving up for a new place, and having a larger down payment, hopefully.
 
Cslusser said:
Unfortunately, we have to pass on the property. We cannot find a lender with a commercial underwriter willing to take the property. We also do not have the experience of making a profit high enough for a government loan. To qualify with them for this particular property they what to be able to see that we can make at least $22,500 a year just from the property alone. We have been making maple syrup, getting eggs from chickens, growing tilapia, and gardening, but mostly to feed ourselves and to give to family. For now, we are going to start tracking and charging for what we make and saving up for a new place, and having a larger down payment, hopefully.
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My condolences. It takes a lot of time and effort to find the right place.
 
Cslusser said:
Unfortunately, we have to pass on the property. We cannot find a lender with a commercial underwriter willing to take the property. We also do not have the experience of making a profit high enough for a government loan. To qualify with them for this particular property they what to be able to see that we can make at least $22,500 a year just from the property alone. We have been making maple syrup, getting eggs from chickens, growing tilapia, and gardening, but mostly to feed ourselves and to give to family. For now, we are going to start tracking and charging for what we make and saving up for a new place, and having a larger down payment, hopefully.
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It will come when it's supposed to come! Hopefully soon!!
 
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